Gesture recognition technology
allows shoppers to point at an object
on display and see specific product
information on a screen, as in this
example at EuroShop 2011.

the concept using iPod Touch. These systems typically involve sales associates completing the transaction for the customer anywhere in the store, but
it’s also possible for customers to complete their
own transactions by tapping or waving phones at
equipped in-store terminals thanks to contactless
near field communications (NFC) technology available in select smartphones.

With the popular Samsung Tocco Lite in the U.K.,
shoppers can buy up to £15 worth of goods in more
than 50,000 stores with Quick Tap, deducting it
from a prepaid account. A similar system is available in the U. S. with the Nexus S 4G by Google, but
Google Wallet also allows for purchases via Citi
MasterCard or merchant gift cards at retailers such
as Einstein, Subway, Walgreens, and Bloomingdale’s. Special offers and gift cards are included
with the Google Wallet system. More phones are
expected to include NFC technology shortly.

See It In Action:
MOBILE PAYMENT

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Source: You Tube

Mobile gift cards offer an additional form of
phone payment, with cashiers scanning barcodes
directly from the mobile phone screen using standard technology. Numerous retailers have jumped
on this easy entrance into the mobile pay market,
including American Eagle, Gap, JC Penney, and
Target, among others.

REALIT Y CHECK: The “mobile wallet” will revolutionize how designers address checkout needs, Dyches
says. He predicts decreasing numbers of traditional
cashwraps and queue lines and corresponding
increases in self-checkouts and strategically placed
customer service stations. Existing security measures
are expected to be able to maintain low shrink rates
within these scenarios.

The checkout is where the deal is sealed and it’s
the shopper’s last impression of a store. Designers need
to work with their clients to incorporate technologies
in ways that will create a great customer experience,
the DREAM Team says.

Whole-Basket Scanning
A EuroShop demo showed checkout of a supermarket basket without unloading the goods. As
the entire basket is scanned, the prices of all items
are recorded.

Tablets as Tools

From product information to customer orders,retailers are using tablet computers to providebetter customer service. Dyches cites Polo RalphLauren’s New York flagship. “They’re using iPadsto help facilitate supply chain management and tofoster customer relations by being able to pull upimagery and deeper stories about product lines,”he says. Shoppers can choose a clothing item andmonogram color and style on an iPad, and seam-stresses in the basement produce the orderwithin minutes.

Social Media Integration
While doomsday pundits champion clicks over
bricks for the future of retail, social networkers
may prefer shopping in-store. A recent Forest City

See It In Action:SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATION

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